How safe do you think that your house is? Chances are, you may have never had any problems with it. But that still does not answer the question. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in electrical safety. Why? Well, homeowners have begun to realize that their house, their fortress, may not be entirely safe. Because of new and updated electrical codes, many homes that were once considered fine are now hazards to homeowners. Here is a handy list of flags to look out for that may require you to call a licensed electrician, such as Thornbury Electrics at Victoria Park.
1. Overcrowding
How many appliances or electronics have you managed to fit into one electrical receptacle? The answer is likely too many. “Octopus” extensions for outlets have grown in popularity over time. This may not be for the best, however. When there are so many appliances plugged into one outlet, the outlet gets really, really hot. Obviously, this is a fire safety hazard. Too many octopus extensions indicate that you are probably overcrowding a single outlet with too many things. You should bring in an electrician to install more receptacles so that you can start to space some plugs out.
2. The Power System Goes Down Frequently
If your electrical circuit-breaker trips several times throughout the year, you may need to call an electrician. It is the same story if you have fuses blow more than once or twice a year. When events like these happen, it is a good indicator that your circuits happen to pull more current than they probably should. It is important that you, as a homeowner, do not try to fix this issue on your own. There are very large currents flowing through your house, and only a trained professional should attempt repairs. Another reason to hire an electrician is that these symptoms may also indicate a fault in one or more of the circuits in your house.
3. The Lights Tend to Flicker
When you plug in something like a hairdryer or clippers, does this cause a lamp to flicker? This is another common warning sign that all may not be well with your electrical system. Appliances that operate using a motor tend to draw a lot of power from the electrical system. Because of this, you may need to dedicate one outlet to a motor-operated device at a time. If smaller items cause this effect too, call a electrician. They can assist you in installing a 20- amp electrical line to service those too.
4.Your Floor Is a Tripping Hazard
Do you own any snakes? Could someone new entering your house be momentarily confused as to that fact? If so, that also could signify a problem. Generally speaking, it is a good practice to only have two or three appliances per outlet. This ties in a bit to the octopus extension tip. If, instead of octopuses, you have multiple extension cords running throughout the house, it’s the same solution. Rather than creating new tripping and electrical hazards, call an electrician to install new outlets into your home.
5.You Have a Home Older Than 25 Years
Congratulations, your house is old enough to drink alcohol by 7 years. There are a few items that go into this particular list. The first is if many or all of the outlets in your house have only two prongs that a plug can insert into. By the older standards, this was fine. However, that third prong on the plug is a grounding prong. This means that it is way harder for you to be zapped when handling one. Nowadays, three-pronged plugs are the standard, which means you need to get your outlets up to standard.
The second part of this one is that, again, electrical companies must comply to new standards now. Back when schoolchildren had to climb to school in the snow uphill both ways, standards were looser. Now, though, electricians are aware of how much damage a wayward outlet can do. If you remove an outlet cover and find black rubber inside of the box, call an electrician. If wires are coated with cloth rather than plastic, call an electrician. If you answered yes to either question and your home is dated, call an electrician. Your home is dangerously not up-to-code.
It’s an Easy Life When You’re Up-to-Code
So, there you have it! Five ways to know when you really should call an electrician. These tips are helpful whether you did walk to school uphill in the snow both ways or you are just starting a new family. Either way, it is very important to ensure that your house is safe. That way, you can rest easy, stop worrying, and finally get around to vacuuming your floors without the lights going crazy.